Atraumatic IOL insertion cartridge opening

ABSTRACT

This intraocular lens (IOL) injector cartridge has a proximal opening in a main body for receiving an IOL. The main body has a lumen that extends longitudinally to a distal end having an opening smaller than the IOL. Passage through the lumen compresses or rolls the IOL so that when the distal end is inserted through a small incision in the eye the IOL can be expelled into the capsular bag. The distal end of the cartridge is beveled with a leading tip in front of a trailing heel. The characteristics of the beveled end are such that damage to the IOL is reduced. The bevel may be straight or curved and includes a distal face defined by the thickness of the distal end between the lumen and an exterior surface. The distal face may be flush with the bevel or chamfered. An inner corner angle between the distal face and the lumen is ≥60° to reduce the chance of scratching the IOL as it passes out of the distal opening.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/195,622 filed on Mar. 3, 2014, which claims priority to U.S.provisional application No. 61/773,496 filed on Mar. 6, 2013, the entirecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to devices for delivering an intraocularlens (IOL) into an eye and, more particularly, to an atraumatic IOLinjector cartridge tip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is estimated that at least about 42% of Americans between the ages of52 and 64 and 73% of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 getcataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens that impairs aperson's vision and, if left untreated, causes blindness. As a result,each year approximately 1.4 million people in the United States aloneundergo cataract surgery, whereby the clouded lens is removed andreplaced with an intraocular lens (IOL) implant.

A typical IOL includes an optic or lens body for focusing light towardthe retina of the eye. In addition, the IOL also includes one or morefixation members or haptics extending outward from the optic forsecuring and centering the IOL in the desired position within thechamber of the eye. The IOL is implanted directly into the eye through asmall incision in a way that reduces trauma and expedites post-surgeryhealing. To fit through this small incision, modern IOLs are designed tobe deformed, e.g., rolled, folded or the like, to a relatively smallprofile and then allowed to return to their original shape within theeye.

A useful technique for inserting an IOL into the eye includes use of anIOL injector or cartridge. Injectors for delivering IOLs into the eyetypically employ a handpiece and a cartridge having a hollow insertiontube or cannula through which the folded IOL is passed using a pushrod.The cartridges are made of disposable materials, such as plastics, andremain in a sterile package until ready for coupling with the handpiece.Some injectors do without the cartridge, and may be reusable.

Conventional IOL cartridges include a load chamber connected to aninjection tube. In many popular versions, such as in U.S. Pat. No.4,681,102 to Bartell or U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,402 to Brady, the loadchamber is formed by two hinged halves which receive the IOL, and whichclose to fold the IOL. A non-folding cartridge is seen in U.S. Pat. No.5,474,562 to Orchowski in which forceps are used to insert the IOL intoa proximal or rear opening of the cartridge. The injection tube includesa small diameter distal end that is insertable into the incision withinthe eye. After mating the cartridge with the handpiece (if a separatecartridge is used), the pushrod urges the IOL through the load chamberand through the injection tube into the eye. The distal end of thecartridge is beveled into a sharp point that enables insertion throughthe corneal incision and facilitates expulsion and manipulation of theIOL into the capsular bag. However, sometimes the IOL or the cartridgetip is damaged during the process of forcing the IOL through thecartridge tube

In view of the above, there is a need for a cartridge that will notdamage the IOL and is more robust than earlier designs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present application provides an intraocular lens (IOL) injectorcartridge having an atraumatic tip. The cartridge includes a main bodyhaving a proximal opening for receiving an IOL and a lumen that extendslongitudinally to a distal end having a distal opening smaller than theIOL. Passage through the lumen compresses or rolls the IOL so that whenthe distal end is inserted through a small incision in the eye the IOLcan be expelled into the capsular bag. The distal end of the cartridgeis beveled with a leading tip in front of a trailing heel. Thecharacteristics of the beveled end are such that damage to the IOL isreduced. The bevel may be straight or curved and includes a distal facedefined by the thickness of the distal end between the lumen and anexterior surface. The distal face may be flush with the bevel orchamfered. An inner corner angle between the distal face and the lumenis >60° to reduce the chance of scratching the IOL as it passes out ofthe distal opening

The exemplary cartridges disclosed herein for receiving and deliveringan intraocular lens to the inner eye comprises a main body extendinglongitudinally from a proximal opening for receiving the intraocularlens to a distal end. A lumen extends from the proximal opening to thedistal end which defines a distal opening that is smaller than theintraocular lens. The distal end is beveled as seen in side view with aleading tip below and opposite a trailing heel, and further defines adistal face between an exterior surface and the lumen.

In one embodiment, the distal face including at least one portion thatis not flush with the beveled distal end as seen in side view. Thebeveled distal end may be a straight bevel or a curved bevel. Theportion of the distal face that is not flush with the beveled distal endmay be a chamfer formed in a cutout region. Alternatively, the distalface is not flush with the beveled distal end around its entireperiphery. For instance, the entire distal face may be chamfered orrounded.

In another embodiment, the distal face forms an inner corner with a wallof the lumen at the trailing heel having an angle ϕ≥60°, and preferablyϕ≥90°. In a further embodiment, the distal face includes at least oneportion that is rounded. If the distal end has a curved bevel as seen inside view, the bevel angle adjacent the leading tip is desirably greaterthan the bevel angle adjacent the trailing heel. In one embodiment, thebevel is a planar bevel as seen in side view, and the angle β of theplanar bevel is between about 20-30° such that a distal face forms aninner corner with a wall of the lumen at the trailing heel having anangle ϕ between about 60-70°.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and advantages of the present invention will become appreciatedas the same become better understood with reference to thespecification, claims, and appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art intraocular lens (IOL)inserter cartridge showing loading of an exemplary IOL from the rear endthereof;

FIG. 2A is a top plan view of the cartridge of FIG. 1, while FIG. 2B isa longitudinal sectional view through the cartridge illustratingprogressive advancement of an IOL therethrough to a beveled distal end,and FIG. 2C is an enlargement of the distal end in section;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the distal end of an alternative IOLcartridge of the present application having a shallower bevel angle;

FIGS. 4A-4C are perspective, elevational, and sectional views of thedistal end of a further alternative IOL cartridge disclosed herein,while FIGS. 4D and 4E are enlargements of areas in FIG. 4C;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view partly in phantom of an alternative IOLcartridge of the present application having a variable chamfered edge atthe beveled tip, while FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of the distal end;

FIGS. 6A-6D are different views of the variable chamfered edge bevel tipof the cartridge of FIG. 5, while FIGS. 6E and 6F are enlargements ofareas in FIG. 6D;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view partly in phantom of another IOL cartridgeof the present application having a variable chamfered edge at thebeveled tip, while FIG. 7A is an enlarged view of the distal end;

FIGS. 8A-8D are different views of the variable chamfered edge bevel tipof the cartridge of FIG. 7, while FIGS. 8E and 8F are enlargements ofareas in FIG. 8D;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view partly in phantom of another IOL cartridgeof the present application having a more rounded edge at the beveledtip, while FIG. 9A is an enlarged view of the distal end;

FIGS. 10A-10D are different views of the rounded edge bevel tip of theIOL cartridge of FIG. 9, while FIGS. 10E and 10F are enlargements ofareas in FIG. 10D;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are elevation and sectional views through a stillfurther IOL cartridge tip having a curved tip with a step;

FIGS. 12A and 12B are perspective and elevation views through a stillfurther IOL cartridge tip having a curved tip with a less pronouncedstep than in FIGS. 11A-11B; and

FIGS. 13A and 13B are perspective and elevation views through anotherIOL cartridge beveled tip with a partial cut out at the bevel heel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-2C illustrate an IOL cartridge 20 of the prior art whichincludes a main body 22 extending longitudinally from a proximal opening24 to a distal end 26. A pair of webs project transversely outward fromopposite sides of the main body 22 and terminate in a generallyvertically-oriented finger grip 30 a, 30 b. The main body 22 of thecartridge 20 defines a gradually narrowing lumen or hollow interior 32extending longitudinally from the proximal opening 24 to a distalopening 34 (FIG. 2B) at the distal end 26.

FIG. 1 illustrates an IOL held by tongs or forceps 50. This type of IOLincludes a central disc-shaped optic 52, a leading haptic 54, and atrailing haptic 56. Typically, the optic 52 has opposed convex faces,although the present invention is not limited to cartridges for anyparticular type of IOL. The haptics 54, 56 are shown as thin arcuatemembers extending outward from opposite edges of the optic 52, andgenerally in the plane of the optic. The haptics 54, 56 curve in thesame direction, in this case a counter-clockwise direction looking downon the IOL.

FIG. 2B shows the gradually narrowing lumen 32 from the proximal to thedistal end of the cartridge 20, and the general shape of the IOL as itprogresses through the main body 22. In particular, the cartridge 20, aswith other such cartridges, provides a gradually narrowing lumen 32 thatfolds or otherwise compresses the IOL into a small profile so that itmay be expelled through the distal opening 34 at the distal end 26 andthrough an incision into the eye. Intraocular lenses are inserted intothe empty capsular bag left after removing the natural lens from theeye, typically due to opacification from conditions such as glaucoma.Folding the IOL through the cartridge enables a smaller incision to beused, which helps reduce trauma during the operation and recovery.However, folding and/or compressing the IOL generates significantcompressive stresses in the IOL, which is restrained by the surroundingcartridge tube. The outward forces from the IOL against the tube lumen32 and opposite inward reaction forces from the lumen on the IOL arealleviated at the moment the IOL emerges from the distal opening, andsometimes the sharp edges of the distal end cause damage to the IOL.

The shape of the distal end 26 facilitates introduction of the IOL intothe eye and into the capsular bag. More particularly, the distal end 26defines the termination of the generally tubular main body 22 andfeatures a planar bevel angle β that results in a pointed leading tip 36diametrically opposed to a trailing heel 38, such as seen in FIG. 2C.Due to the planar bevel, the side portions of the distal end 26 extendin half-ovals between the leading tip 36 and a trailing heel 38. Thepointed leading tip 36 helps the surgeon open up the incision and extendthe distal end 26 into the eye and into the capsular bag, while therelief provided by the bevel angle β allows the IOL to emerge moregradually from the tip than if the tube was cut off straight, orperpendicular to the central axis. Moreover, the end 26 may be rotatedabout its axis to allow the surgeon to reposition the heel 38 and thus“aim” the cartridge tip so that the IOL is expelled properly into thecapsular bag. The planar beveled end 26 as shown typically has a bevelangle β of about 55° which is conventional in the art and providesadequate level of control for the surgeon. It should be noted that thebevel angles discussed herein refer to the angle (if there is a singleangle) taken from a vertical plane (perpendicular to the central axis ofthe tubular main body 22) to the distal end 26, indicated in FIG. 2C.Consequently, a 0° bevel angle is one which is perpendicular to thecentral axis, or completely blunt and not beveled at all, and thus doesnot exist as it does not work. Conversely, the distal end becomesincreasingly sharp at higher bevel angles, and angles above 45° areimpractically long and do not exist either. Known bevels are between40-55°.

Certain problems in the use of cartridges with planar bevels have beennoted by the applicants. It should be understood that a “planar bevel”refers to a distal end 26 that defines a forward-looking distal facethat lies exclusively in the plane of the bevel angle, or is flush withthe bevel. The distal face of the distal end 26 is that surface formedby the thickness of the distal end that extends between the outer 40 andinner 42 tubular walls of the cartridge 20 (FIG. 2C). The entire distalface of the distal end 26 across the wall thickness of the cartridge 20thus lies flush in a common plane along the bevel angle. This can alsobe termed a flush distal face because it lies flush within the contourof the distal end as seen from the side (FIG. 2C). Consequently, thetrailing heel 38 of the distal end 26 forms the same sharp angle at theinside wall 42. As a result, as the IOL emerges from within the tubularlumen 32, the sharp inner corner angle of the heel 38 sometimes causescuts or scratches on the expanding IOL, which are sometimes referred toas chatter marks.

Moreover, because of the sharp angle at the heel 38, the outwardpressure imparted by the passing IOL sometimes creates splits in thecartridge material. That is, the sharp angle at the heel 38 presents anarea of concentrated stress in the material which can sometimes split,potentially leading to loss of control of the delicate placementprocess. Furthermore, advances in the field of IOL implantation aredriving the diameter of the cartridge distal tips ever smaller, whichfurther reduces the strength of the distal tip. At some point, thestrength limit of the distal tip is reached which limits its minimumsize. Currently, the smallest distal tips having a planar bevel are 1.6mm in diameter, with a wall thickness of 0.0016 mm.

The present application provides a number of solutions to help eliminatedamage to either the IOL or the cartridge end 26. One solution shown inFIG. 3 involves a cartridge 60 having a distal end 62 with a planarbevel having a much shallower bevel angle β, such as approximately 30°,or less. More particularly, the bevel angle β is preferably betweenabout 20-30°. By virtue of the shallower bevel angle, the distal face atthe heel 66 of the distal end 62 also forms a shallower inner cornerangle at the inside wall, thus reducing the potentially damaging sharpedge and also the stress concentration at that point. More specifically,for bevel angles β between 20-30°, the distal face forms an inner cornerwith a wall of the lumen at the trailing heel 66 that is between 60-70°.

Another alternative IOL cartridge 70 is seen in FIGS. 4A-4C, andincludes a distal end 72 that forms a straight bevel angle β of about65°, much like those in the prior art. A distal face 74 formed by thethickness of the distal end 72 between an outer wall 76 and an innerwall 78 defines the forward-looking end of the cartridge. An outer edge80 of the distal face 74 lies in and defines the plane of the bevelangle β, preferably about 40-45°. Since the bevel as seen from the sideas in FIG. 4B is straight, this configuration can be denoted a straightbevel. A planar bevel as described above is a subset of straight bevels.However, instead of being a planar bevel, the distal face 74 is angledor chamfered such that not all of it lies in the plane of the bevelangle β. In particular, an inner edge 82 of the distal face 74 does notlie in the plane of the bevel angle β. Another way to describe thedistal face 74 is that it does not lie flush within the bevel plane.

With reference to FIGS. 4A and 4C, the distal end 72 has a variablechamfer around its circumference. As seen best in the enlargement ofFIGS. 4D and 4E, the angle of the distal face 74 (face angle) changesfrom an angle θ that is greater than the bevel angle (i.e., sharper) ata leading tip 84 (See FIG. 4D) to one that is more blunt than the bevelangle at a trailing heel 86. As before, the leading tip 84 isdiametrically opposed around the distal end 72 from the trailing heel86. The face angle around the distal end 72 is that angle the distalface 74 makes with a plane perpendicular to the tubular axis as seen inany longitudinal section through the distal end (such as seen in FIGS.4C-4E with a vertical longitudinal section). In the illustratedembodiment, the face angle at the heel 86 is 0°, as seen in FIG. 4E.Consequently, the inner edge 82 of the distal face 74 at the trailingheel 86 forms an inner corner angle ϕ, of about 90° at the intersectionwith the cartridge inner wall 78. This removes the sharp edge at theheel 86 which reduces the chance of damaging the IOL as it expulses fromthe distal end 72. Another way to state this solution is that the innercorner angle ϕ, at the trailing heel 86 is decoupled from the bevelangle β, which is not the case with a planar bevel.

Various side and sectional views seen in the present application aredepicted with the leading tip 84 directly below the trailing heel 86, orvice versa, which simplifies depiction of the particular beveled distalend because of the traditional symmetry about a central plane thatextends through the leading tip and trailing heel. However, it should beunderstood that asymmetric distal ends are not excluded unlessexplicitly stated herein for particular embodiments.

Now with reference to FIGS. 5 and 5A, a still further alternative IOLcartridge 90 is shown. The cartridge 90 is configured differently thanthat described above, though it is still adapted to receive an IOL andthen mate with an inserter (not shown) for injection into an eye.Although the majority of the cartridge 90 is not particularly relevantto the disclosure of the present invention, and thus is shown inphantom, it typically includes a proximal body 92 having a proximalopening 94 in the form of a channel for receiving an IOL. A tubular nose96 aligned with the opening 94 extends distally from the body 92 andterminates at a distal end 100. As with the earlier embodiment, thedistal end 100 defines an opening that is smaller than the IOL such thatas the IOL progresses distally from the proximal opening 94 is folded orotherwise compressed into a rolled configuration.

The distal end 100 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 6A-6F, anddefines a straight bevel angle β as seen in FIG. 6D, preferably about40-45°. Once again, an outer edge 102 of a distal face 104 lies in anddefines the bevel plane. The distal face 104 extends between an outercartridge wall 106 and an inner cartridge wall 108 that defines the tubelumen. Again in contrast to a planar bevel, the distal face 104 has achamfer angle that does not lie flush in the bevel plane.

As best seen in FIGS. 5A and 6D, an inner edge 110 of the distal face104 is recessed into the lumen. At a leading tip 112 of the bevel, asseen in FIG. 6E, the distal face 104 makes a chamfer angle θ that islarger than the bevel angle. At a trailing heel 114, diametricallyopposed to the leading tip 112 as seen in FIG. 6F, the distal face 104makes a chamfer angle α that is also larger than the bevel angle, and inthe opposite direction. It should be noted that a chamfer at thetrailing heel 114 which forms an angle opposite to the bevel angle andis greater than 0° (such as in FIG. 4E) results in an obtuse innercorner angle ϕ. The angle θ may be equal to the angle α or one may belarger than the other. In a preferred embodiment, the distal facechamfer angle θ at the leading tip 112 is equal to the distal facechamfer angle α at the trailing heel 114, and they both are betweenabout 70-80°. Although the trailing chamfer angle α may be as small as0°, such as in the embodiment of FIGS. 4A-4E, it is desirably greaterthan 30° to result in an obtuse inner corner angle. Both the leading tip112 and trailing heel 114 therefore define sharp points at their outeredges 102, but relatively shallow (obtuse) inner corner angles at theirinner edges 110. These shallow corner angles serve two purposes: first,there is little chance of the inner edges 110 causing damage to thepassing IOL, and second, the material at the inner edges 110 experiencesno stress concentration which might lead to tearing.

A still further alternative distal end 120 for an IOL cartridge 90 isshown in FIGS. 7-8. The IOL cartridge 90 may be similar to that shown inFIG. 5, or may be another configuration such as that shown in FIG. 1.Once again, the majority of the cartridge 90 is not particularlyrelevant to the disclosure of the present invention, and thus is shownin phantom.

The distal end 120 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 7A and 8A-8F, anddefines a straight bevel angle β as seen in FIG. 8D, preferably about40-45°. Once again, an outer edge 122 of a distal face 124 lies in anddefines the bevel plane. The distal face 124 extends between an outercartridge wall 126 and an inner cartridge wall 128 that defines the tubelumen. Again, in contrast to a planar bevel, the distal face 124 has achamfer angle that does not lie flush in the bevel plane. The distal end120 is similar to the distal end 100 of FIGS. 5-6, though one differenceis that the extension of the tubular nose 96 of the cartridge 90 becomesgradually more elliptical, or more like a rounded rectangle. Thisconfiguration may accommodate the IOLs somewhat better as the opticportion assumes a more flattened as opposed to rolled tubular shape.

As best seen in FIGS. 7A and 8D, an inner edge 130 of the distal face124 is recessed into the lumen. At a leading tip 132 of the bevel, asseen in FIG. 8E, the distal face 124 makes a chamfer angle θ that islarger than the bevel angle. At a trailing heel 134, as seen in FIG. 8F,the distal face 124 makes a chamfer angle α that is opposite the bevelangle. The angle θ may be equal to the angle α or one may be larger thanthe other. In a preferred embodiment, the distal face chamfer angle θ atthe leading tip 132 is greater than the distal face chamfer angle α atthe trailing heel 134. For instance, the leading chamfer angle θ isbetween about 70-80°, while the trailing chamfer angle α is betweenabout 60-70°. Once again, it should be noted that the trailing chamferangle α may be as small as 0°, such as in the embodiment of FIGS. 4A-4E,though it is desirably greater than 30° to result in an obtuse innercorner angle. Both the leading tip 132 and trailing heel 134 thereforedefine sharp points at their outer edges 122, but relatively shallow(obtuse) inner corner angles at their inner edges 130. These shallowcorner angles reduce the chance of the inner edges 130 causing damage tothe passing IOL, and reduce the stress concentration in the distal end120 which might lead to tearing.

FIG. 8F also shows a somewhat different trailing heel 134 than inearlier embodiments. The distal face 124 at that point does notintersect the outer cartridge wall 126, but instead terminates at itsouter edge 122 a short way down the straight bevel. Another way to statethis is that the distal face 124 at the trailing heel 134 does not passthrough the intersection of the bevel with the outer cartridge wall 126.This results in a short length of added material at the sharp point ofthe outer cartridge wall 126 which helps strengthen the wall and avoidstearing during expulsion of the compressed IOL.

A still further alternative distal end 140 for an IOL cartridge 90 isshown in FIGS. 9-10. Once again, the IOL cartridge 90 may be similar tothat shown in FIG. 5, or may be another configuration such as that shownin FIG. 1. The distal end 140 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 9A and10C-10F, and once again defines a straight bevel angle β as seen in FIG.10D, preferably about 40-45°. An outer edge 142 of a distal face lies inand defines the bevel plane. As before, the distal face extends betweenan outer cartridge wall 144 and an inner cartridge wall 146 that definesthe tube lumen. In contrast to a planar bevel, the distal face does notlie flush in the bevel plane, but in this configuration there is nosingle chamfer but a more rounded face from the trailing heel 148 to theleading tip 150 and in between.

As best seen in FIG. 10E, at a leading tip 150 of the bevel the distalface extends between an outer edge 152 and an inner edge 154 and forms arounded face 156. At the trailing heel 148, as seen in FIG. 10F, thedistal face forms a rounded face 158. These rounded faces 156, 158 mayhave similar curvatures, though due to their different geometries therounded face 158 at the trailing heel 148 extends around a greater arcthan the face 156 at the leading tip 150. The result is a smooth surfacearound the distal end 140 of the cartridge 90, which eliminates anysharp edges and corresponding danger of scratching the IOL. It should benoted that a rounded distal face is not flush with the particular bevel,much like the earlier-described chamfers.

Now with reference to FIGS. 11A-11B, a slightly different cartridgedistal end 170 is shown. As before, the distal end 170 is pointed with aleading tip 172 and a trailing heel 174. However, instead of thestraight bevel, the distal end 170 has a curved bevel, with a relativelyshallow curvature 176 adjacent the leading tip 172 gradually increasingto a step 178 adjacent the trailing heel 174. In the illustratedembodiment, the angle of the curved bevel at the trailing heel 174 isabout 0°. Desirably, the bevel angle adjacent the leading tip 172 isgreater than the bevel angle adjacent the trailing heel 174. This“curved bevel” is not strictly a bevel, but the terminology will be usedto indicate its proximity to a straight bevel. In other words, as usedherein, a beveled end refers to both straight and curved bevels, whereinboth include a leading tip opposed to a trailing heel. Also as mentionedabove, a preferred configuration provides symmetry about a central planethrough a diametrically opposed leading tip 172 and trailing heel 174,though asymmetric configurations are contemplated.

Furthermore, the distal face is flush with the curved bevel, meaningthat the entire distal face lies in the curvature of the distal end 170as seen from the side in FIG. 11A. Consequently, as seen in FIG. 11B,the distal face has a 90° inner corner angle 180 at the trailing heel174, much like the embodiment of FIGS. 4A-4C. Once more, this reducesthe potential for damaging IOL as it passes out of the lumen of thecartridge end 170. Of course, the distal face need not lie flush withinthe curvature of the distal end 170, and may be chamfered as describedin several embodiments above.

FIGS. 12A-12B illustrate a still further cartridge distal end 190 havinga curved bevel. In particular, the curved bevel extends between aleading tip 192 and a trailing heel 194. As with the embodiment of FIGS.11A-11B, the distal face lies flush with the curvature of the curvedbevel. As before, the bevel angle adjacent the leading tip 192 isgreater than the bevel angle adjacent the trailing heel 194. However,the curvature is modified, with a shallow arc 196 adjacent the leadingtip 192 which transitions into a less pronounced step 198 adjacent tothe trailing heel 194. This configuration results in a slightly acuteinner corner 200 at the trailing heel 194, as seen in FIG. 12B. As withthe reduced bevel angle of the embodiment of FIG. 3, as long as theangle of the curved bevel at the trailing heel 194 is approximately 30°or less, the inner corner 200 will be sufficiently blunt to avoid damageto the passing IOL. In a preferred embodiment, the distal face forms aninner corner 200 with a wall of the lumen at the trailing heel 194having an angle that is ≥60°. Indeed, several embodiments abovedescribed inner corner angles of 90° and greater, and the lower limit of60° is considered to be the sharpest inner corner angle that can beutilized without creating significant risk of scratching the IOL.

Finally, the cartridge distal end 220 shown in FIGS. 13A-13B includes apartial planar bevel. More particularly, a majority of the distal face222 lies flush with the plane of the bevel, which may be 40-45°, but isinterrupted by a scoop or cutout 224 at the trailing heel 226. In otherwords, as seen in FIG. 13B, the distal face 222 extends from a leadingtip 228 up into proximity with the trailing heel 226, but is interruptedby the cutout 224. The cutout 224 extends a short distance down aroundthe distal end 220, such as about 30° symmetrically from a centralvertical plane. The cutout 224 may be formed at an angle perpendicularto the central axis of the tubular cartridge distal end 220, as shown,or may be slightly angled toward the bevel (up to about 30°) or evenchamfered in an opposite direction to the bevel. The result is an innercorner angle that is less likely to scratch or otherwise damage thepassing IOL. Moreover, the remaining portion of the distal end canremain as a planar bevel, which maintains ease of cartridge tipinsertion into the wound and is proven effective in delivering the IOL.In the illustrated embodiment the inner corner angle is 90°. The cutout224 can be viewed as an abbreviated chamfer in contrast to the variablychamfered embodiments described above.

The various solutions for cartridge distal ends provided herein permitthe distal ends to have diameters down to about 1.4 mm, with a wallthickness of about 0.014 mm. Materials used for the IOL cartridgesdescribed herein include polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyurethane orother appropriate thermoplastics. The various shapes for the distal endscan be formed by molding or laser cutting. In particular, the variablechamfer geometries are especially well-suited to injection molding.

While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, itis to be understood that the words which have been used are words ofdescription and not of limitation. Therefore, changes may be made withinthe appended claims without departing from the true scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cartridge for receiving and delivering anintraocular lens to the inner eye, the intraocular lens having an opticwith a diameter, comprising: a main body extending longitudinally from aproximal opening sized to receive the optic of the intraocular lens to atubular distal end having a diameter of less than 1.6 mm, the main bodybeing formed of a material selected from the group consisting ofpolypropylene, polycarbonate and polyurethane, and the main body havinga lumen extending from the proximal opening to the distal end whichdefines a distal opening that is smaller than the proximal opening andsmaller than the optic diameter such that passage of the IOL through thelumen causes the optic to fold into a rolled configuration, the distalend being beveled as seen in side view with a leading tip below andopposite a trailing heel, the beveled distal end defines a bevel angleline drawn between the leading tip and trailing heel that forms a bevelangle β with a longitudinal axis of the main body, the distal endfurther defining a distal face between an exterior surface and thelumen, wherein at least a portion of the distal face around the distalend is not flush with the beveled distal end as seen in side view. 2.The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the beveled distal end defines astraight bevel.
 3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the portion of thedistal face that is not flush with the beveled distal end includes achamfer formed in a cutout region, and the rest of the distal face isflush with the beveled distal end.
 4. The cartridge of claim 1, whereina trailing chamfer angle α formed by the chamfer formed in a cutoutregion is about 0°.
 5. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the distal faceis not flush with the beveled distal end around its entire periphery. 6.The cartridge of claim 5, wherein the entire distal face is chamfered.7. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the distal face forms an innercorner with a wall of the lumen at the trailing heel having an angleϕ≥60°.
 8. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the bevel angle adjacent theleading tip is greater than the bevel angle adjacent the trailing heel.9. The cartridge of claim 8, wherein the bevel angle adjacent thetrailing heel is about 0°.
 10. The cartridge of claim 5, wherein theentire distal face is rounded.
 11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein thedistal face forms an inner corner with a wall of the lumen at thetrailing heel having an angle ϕ≥90°.
 12. The cartridge of claim 1,wherein an outer edge of the distal face defines a sharp edge and liesin and defines the beveled distal end.
 13. The cartridge of claim 12,wherein the distal face has a chamfer between the outer edge and thelumen that defines a trailing chamfer angle α at the trailing heelbetween about 70-80° and forms an inner corner with a wall of the lumenat the trailing heel having an obtuse inner corner angle ϕ, such thatthe trailing heel defines a sharp point at its outer edge and an obtuseangle at its inner edge.
 14. The cartridge of claim 12, wherein thedistal face has a chamfer between the outer edge and the lumen thatdefines a trailing chamfer angle α at the trailing heel, and the distalface at the trailing heel does not pass through the intersection of thebevel angle line with the outer cartridge wall so as to have a shortlength of added material thickness at the sharp edge of the trailingheel.
 15. The cartridge of claim 14, wherein the trailing chamfer angleα is between about 70-80°.
 16. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein thelumen is circular in perpendicular cross-section at the distal end suchthat a wall thickness is constant around the tubular distal end.
 17. Thecartridge of claim 1, wherein the distal face includes the chamferaround its entire periphery that is not flush with the beveled distalend, such that both the leading tip and trailing heel define sharppoints at their outer edges and obtuse inner corner angles at theirinner edges.
 18. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the beveled distalend defines a straight bevel having the bevel angle β, and the distalface defines a leading chamfer angle θ at the leading tip that isgreater than the bevel angle β.
 19. The cartridge of claim 18, whereinthe distal face defines a trailing chamfer angle α at the trailing heelthat is greater than the bevel angle β.